Schomberg Community and Agricultural Arena

All the eulogizing of the Schomberg Agricultural Arena and Community Centre seems to have been a little a premature. When the township started building the Trisan Centre in 2009, it was thought the onetime cultural pillar was a goner.
After all, a portion of the funds for the Trisan Centre ($1.3 million) were to come from the sale of the arena.
The majority of the funds for the Trisan Centre were secured through the federal infrastructure stimulus fund.
After widespread community protests and a litany of public meetings, the township has changed its tune on the agricultural arena.
Council passed a motion Monday expressing interest in pursuing a public/private partnership that would result in a multi-use community facility or a mixed community/commercial facility going forward.
“For us to still have a vested interest in the parcel of land, if we can do that with our partners, I think that is a marvellous thing,” Mayor Steve Pellegrini said.
Council is moving forward with the understanding for this to work, the township must recoup the $1.3 million, Mr. Pellegrini said, adding having municipal space in the centre of Schomberg is worthwhile.
One councillor wasn’t particularly thrilled with council’s decision.
“We have acquired assets. This asset should have been sold. I’m a minority over here. I won’t get anywhere,” Ward 2 councillor Peter Grandilli said.
“Now that we got the new arena, we still want to keep the old one. If we do so, we are irresponsible to taxpayers.”
“Mr. Grandilli, shame on you,” Ward 3 Councillor Linda Pabst said. “It’s important to the tradition of Schomberg and all of King Township to keep the Schomberg fair where it has been for centuries.
“I’m glad everyone else on council agrees.”
By reaching out to citizens and businesses, Ward 4 Councillor Bill Cober said he hopes the town can find an innovative solution.
As recently as 2011, the agricultural arena property’s appraised value was $1.5 million.
The 2009 council decision to sell the arena was made without public input.
Since that time, the community has shown a considerable amount of interest in preserving the site as municipal property, a staff report said.
After three public meetings in September and an online survey, there was minimal support for selling the property for re-development, the report said.
Feedback from the online survey showed 33.6 per cent prefer renting or leasing the building, 32.8 per cent prefer selling the property, 23.9 per cent prefer community fundraising to keep it and 10.2 per cent support a property tax increase.
The Schomberg Agricultural Fair has been a community staple for 163 years.
According to staff, a number of residents voiced their desire to keep the fair at the same site.